Heaven's Prisoners A Film Review By Michael Redman Copyright 1996 By Michael Redman
*** (out of ****)
Dave Robicheaux (Alec Baldwin) is an ex-New Orleans cop and an ex-hard drinker who has turned his life around. Nowadays ole Dave has devoted himself to selling bait and fishing in a secluded bayou. Until, that is, a plane loaded with illegal aliens and a drug ring underling explodes over his boat and crashes into his own personal swampy Shangri La.
Robicheaux and wife Annie (Kelly Lynch) rescue a young Salvadoran girl from the submerged plane and, obeying the universal law of `finders keepers', decide to raise her as their own. Not unexpectedly, the crime connection complicates matters.
Our hero goes after the bad guys. Then the bad guys go after him. Then he goes after the bad guys again. And on and on.
Slipping back into the tough guy role under the guise of protecting his family, Baldwin shoots and beats up a bunch of evil-doers while getting pummeled. "Die Hard 3: Nawlins Swamp Boogie".
New Orleans is a natural for a film site. It would be difficult to direct a film in that city without including fascinating locales and colorful locals. Just point a camera down any street and you have a movie.
Baldwin does ok with his role, but is outshined by his co-stars. From Robicheaux's past, Mary Stuart Masterson is a hard-drinking (there seem to be a lot of those in the Crescent City) stripper (likewise) on the run (ditto) in love with him. Never without her thermos of gin, Teri Hatcher of Lois Lane fame plays the scheming wife of a drug lord. In true New Orleans style, all the women beat the heat by wearing as little as possible, sometimes less. Baldwin, though, keeps his pants on during the entire film.
Eric Roberts as Bubba Rocque steals the show. Rocque is Robicheaux's childhood buddy turned southern crime boss who may or may not be plotting to kill everyone while the two pals sip drinks on the lawn of his plantation. Roberts may be guilty of quirky over-acting, but you can't take your eyes off him. He fills the screen with a huge presence.
Let's see: Hollywood heartthrob, sex, violence, alcohol, drugs, guns, blood, New Orleans in the hot sweaty summer, beautiful naked women. I think you got one of your summer blockbusters right here.
[This appeared in the 5/22/96 "Bloomington Voice", Bloomington, Indiana. Michael Redman can be contacted at redman@bvoice.com]
-- mailto:redman@bvoice.com This week's film review at http://www.bvoice.com/ Film reviews archive at http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Michael%20Redman
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